Family Don't Break

CHAPTER 8

JACK'S POV:

The show opens in a week. I've finished painting the set, so now I'm just doing touch ups and adding final details. I haven't been able to watch any of the rehearsals, but I do know that Alex is doing a short solo for the show. She won't tell me what the song is or sing it for me. She says she's embarrassed. She didn't even want to perform, but Medda kept bugging her until she said yes. Medda is good at that type of thing. I didn't want to paint the sets, but look at me now.

"Jack! C'mere, I need you for a sec!" Alex shouts. "Coming!" I stand up and walk over to the costume room. When I enter, I almost trip on a pile of red fabric. The table is covered in different costume pieces and textiles, draped over every empty space. Alex looks flustered, her hair tied back in a loose bun held in place by a pencil.

"Trevor tore his costume, so I had to make a new one. I won't be able to get him fitted for it before opening. He's about your size, try it on." Alex orders. She hands me a pile of clothes, messily folded. "Do I get a say?" I joke. "Nope. Go to the dressing room and get 'em on. I need to see if they work." I smirk. I won't lie, I don't mind when she gets bossy.

I go to the dressing room and pull on the costume. The white jacket is snug, held shut by a series of fancy golden buttons. Fringed golden things sit on my shoulders. Along with the white slacks, I can guess that this is a prince costume.

I return to the costume shop. I stand in front of Alex, self consciously adjusting my clothes. She studies me for a second and pulls on the shoulder piece to straighten it. "Perfect. And, to be honest, this looks much better on you than it does on Trevor."

"I'm your prince charming." I joke. "Of course you are, whether you're in this get up or not." she says, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. "Well, I do need a princess." I chuckle. "I think it's only fair that you try on a costume too." Alex rolls her eyes. "Fine. But you can't laugh at me." I cross my heart, promising not to. She grabs a pile of pink fabric and runs out, going to the dressing room.

She comes back a few minutes later in a pink dress. The dress is a ballgown style, with a large pink skirt on top of a hoop skirt. The top is carefully stitched with tiny silver beads, forming a flowing pattern. The sleeves hug her arms, the bottoms just barely touching her palms. Her hair has come loose from her bun, falling in faint messy curls down her back. Her green eyes contrast the pink in the best possible way, shining against the fabric. She looks like a true princess.

"Wow." I say softly. "You promised not to laugh." she says, playfully glaring at me. I step closer to her. "You look beautiful." she blushes, her cheeks becoming the same shade as the dress. "Shut up." she says quietly. She turns her away, a small smile on her face. "Did you sew all this yourself?"

"Yeah. I used some costumes we already had and did some repairs and added the beading." My fingers gingerly move over the beads, the small stones rough under my touch. "That's amazing." Alex shrugs, biting her lip.

"May I have this dance, m'lady?" I ask. "Of course." she holds out her hand and I grab it, pulling her in close. We slowly waltz around the room. I dip her and she laughs her beautiful laugh, the one that never fails to make me smile.

She lays her head on my chest as we slowly dance. Though there is no music playing, it doesn't seem to matter. We sway to the rhythm of our heart beats, the melody set to our breaths. Everything is perfect right now. The world has stopped spinning. It's just us two in this tiny room, surrounded by fabrics, dancing to a music that no one else can hear.